Preparing for a three day sales event (Morden here we come!)

I realize that light switch covers similar to this have been posted on this blog before, but I snapped these quickly with my Blackberry just before I decided to post.  I am getting ready for Morden (and another sale on September 1st) and I don't have much time to set up apparatus and do a proper photo shoot.  Besides, with my 'stuff' all over the dining room and overflowing into the living room, finding a place in the house with good lighting is becoming difficult. 

It absolutely confounds me how much TIME is involved in getting ready for events such as these. Of course the initial time involved in making my polymer and mixed media items is the first consideration, but the  preparation and  other things that are involved in setting up for the sale is the most misleading.   I doubt that the people who visit us in the venues consider the making of appropriate carding, the attaching to cards,  the packaging, the pricing, the packing up and schlepping all the stuff to the sale require an inordinate amount of time and energy.  Thanks to hubby's driving to the venue, I will at least have a couple of extra hours to do some of the carding and attaching that is usually done last minute.  I have my little basket of scissors, tags, thread and assorted paraphernalia all ready to go with me in the front seat and have my 'list' of stuff to take in a place where I can check it off easily.  Fortunately, we do not have to set up our own tent at the Morden Corn and Apple Festival.  It takes long enough once we arrive to unload the car, set up the tables, drape the tables and display fixtures, arrange the lighting and try to remember how to position the items to make optimal use of the 10 by 10 spot allocated to us. 

Setting up is always exhausting, and at Sioux Narrows, a minor tragedy befell us.  As I was wheeling some stuff from the car into the building, one of my boxes with a large glass structure slipped from where it had been precariously positioned in the booth onto the cement floor, and of course I don't have to tell the rest.  The piece is not salvageable, except as a garden decoration for one of my friends.  I am hoping she will be able to grind down the glass part to something wild and extraordinary, and let the polymer part become yet another piece in her already enchanting wooded garden. I realize now that I should have packed that in a more secure box...but it was a large structure and...oh well...

Hopefully, all will fall into place this weekend, (notwithstanding the unfortunate event of last sale) and that all items, including the fragile ones, will make it to their spot in the display without a mishap.  At least these light switch covers are durable as "rock" and should not suffer any hardships in transport.

Never a Dull Moment

As usual, my life is full...so many things happening, so much to do, so many things undone.  So what do I do?  Make buttons, among other things.  We had a wonderful but short visit to Wisconsin after the fabulous visit to Sioux Narrows and since then, well...our lives have been a blur.  How anyone could be bored in this life is beyond me.

On my clay table have have been many items, as I am trying to augment my stock.  Taking two weeks off from claying really shows inventory-wise, especially when I have two weekend sales coming up shortly.  Here are some of the buttons I have been working on.   I realize this group is a rather unharmonious collection, but I am constantly having to make up new and different styles. For me, I just like to make them up as I go along.  I find if I put too much "thought" into them, they look contrived and that is not the effect I am trying to acheieve.  Most of these here have snippets of leftover canes in them, and a few sort of hint at Halloween, but with one event coming up next Friday, I have to have all sorts of styles ready. 

I will be in the Morden Corn and Apple Festival Arts and Craft Tent in the same location that I have been in for the past couple of years.  I am hoping the weather will be nice.  If it is like today, it will be just perfect.  Not too hot, and partly cloudy, but just pleasant enough for folks to enjoy all the carnival-like atmosphere. 

That town is so friendly...the last time I was there was nearly three months ago when we went to the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction ceremony.  Coincidentally, they were having a car show on the main street...Seems they love to close off their main thoroughfare to just have a wonderful time in that town.  My nephew had his spiffy new vehicle on display. 

As well, I have been trying to keep up with making light switch covers. I have about two dozen that are waiting to be finished right now.  Some need antiquing, some need sanding and buffing--like I said...my life is a blur.